But now that the cakes had been made, Lin Wu still had to figure out how to sell them.
Lin Jing came closer and, by the faint glow from the stove, gazed at the steamed cakes in the bamboo basket. In the dim light, their green color looked especially fresh and vivid.
“They’re so pretty,” he said, blinking. “They’re green like the leaves on a tree.”
He pointed at the cross-section with his little finger. “There’s another layer of red inside, too. It looks like a treasure hidden within—or like flowers hiding among the leaves.”
Red against green was always eye-catching, especially in the bleakness of winter.
Looking at the basket of verdant cakes, Lin Wu lowered her eyes and fell into thought. In theory, the chill was biting in the early morning, and most people would want something hot, rich, and filling. Her steamed cake was sweet rather than savory, and cold rather than piping hot. It was light and fluffy, which seemed rather out of step with what people wanted.
But winter was drab and desolate. Wouldn’t these green cakes stand out precisely because of their unusual color? Besides, people these days were particularly fond of refinement and aesthetic charm, always seeking something with a touch of elegance.
Every spring, this city held a grand Flower Festival, and when the season arrived, the streets filled with people out to admire the blossoms. Ordinary households liked to display seasonal flowers on their tables, while inns and teahouses enjoyed adding a touch of elegance with floral arrangements. People did not merely put flowers in their homes—they liked to wear them in their hair as well. Men and women alike, regardless of status, considered floral adornment fashionable. There were flower stalls in the markets and flower shops along the main streets, proving that people were willing to spend money on beauty that served no practical purpose.
Lin Wu took out a piece, cut off a small corner, and handed it to Lin Jing. “Here, A Jing, help me taste it.”
Lin Jing accepted it carefully. The cake was still slightly warm. He opened his little mouth and took a bite, chewing slowly as his eyes narrowed with pleasure.
“It’s soft and sweet.”
The cake was tender and springy, with the fresh, clean flavor of vegetable juice tempering the sweetness and keeping it from becoming cloying. Once he reached the middle, the rich, mellow sweetness of the date paste spread across his tongue, complementing the plain flavor of the cake perfectly. It looked fresh and delicate, yet its taste was full of layers.
After finishing the piece, he looked up at Lin Wu and nodded his little head, having completed his tasting duty.
“It’s delicious. It’s not like steamed buns, and it’s not like leavened flatbread either.”
That was precisely the key. Lin Wu had made up her mind. This was a sweet cake, and it actually tasted even softer and more refreshing once cooled. It belonged to an entirely different category from steamed buns and flatbreads. Since it followed a different path, there was no need to force it into the same market of cheap, filling staples.
Besides, there were only forty-odd pieces in total, each smaller than half a palm. They were meant merely to cast a stone into the water and test the market.
These days, people cared about flavor when it came to food, but they also paid attention to names and presentation. With a change of name, even the simplest ingredients could be made to sound extraordinary. For instance, wild yam peeled and sliced to resemble white jade might be called “Jade Extension.” A steamed cake cut into square pieces could be called “Jade Bricks.”
Lin Wu had heard that on a certain mountain, an elegant scholar had once steeped white plum blossoms and sandalwood powder in water, used the scented water to make wonton wrappers, then cut them into plum-blossom shapes with a mold. After boiling them, he served them in a clear chicken broth and charged more than two hundred copper coins for a bowl. The diners still considered the dish refined and rare, and thought the price entirely reasonable.
To put it plainly, they were just boiled wonton wrappers.
Lin Wu might not have the reputation of an elegant scholar, nor did she possess white plum blossoms or sandalwood powder, but she could still borrow a little from that approach.
Once she had made up her mind, she was no longer in a hurry. She went into the courtyard and found two vines bearing a few sparse, tightly curled young leaves. After washing them carefully, she returned to the kitchen and took the cakes out of the basket.
She loosely wound the vines around the handle and rim of the bamboo basket, then spread a clean, fine cloth inside and arranged the cakes neatly on top. With that simple decoration, the basket took on a distinctly fresh, rustic charm.
After everything was ready, she and Lin Jing ate breakfast. Then she slung the bamboo basket over her arm and picked up a hu bed, looking every bit like someone heading out to run a small business.
A hu bed was a common folding stool of the time. Many peddlers and hawkers who traveled the streets carried one or two with them. It could be used for resting, or for displaying a few lightweight goods. In fact, folding stools were not the only such items commonly seen—folding chairs and folding tables were widespread as well.
After locking the courtyard gate, they left the alley. By then, the streets had grown lively, with crowds bustling about and vendors’ cries rising one after another.
When they passed a general-goods shop, Lin Wu went inside and bought a stack of sheets of cut oil paper. She placed them in the clean little cloth bag Lin Jing was carrying.
Papermaking was flourishing at the time, and ordinary paper was not expensive. Two coins could buy ten sheets the size of pages from a printed book. But oil paper had been brushed with oil, making it resistant to grease and water, so it naturally cost more. Ten sheets cost five coins. An ordinary plain steamed bun or hu flatbread sold for only two or three coins, which meant that if it was wrapped in oil paper, the paper alone accounted for a considerable part of the cost.
Even if one sheet could wrap two flatbreads, it would add another half a coin to the cost of those two pieces. That was why, when she had sold leavened flatbread at the Lingzhou wharf, Lin Wu had been reluctant to use oil paper. Clean, broad leaves were perfectly adequate for lining the food. But today was different. The oil paper was needed to make the goods look presentable.
When they arrived at the entrance to the morning market, it was already bustling with noise.
Several tax clerks stood watch at the gate, inspecting the goods of each vendor entering the market. Some hawkers carrying shoulder poles took a small wooden token from inside their robes and waved it. The tax clerks would then gesture for them to pass. Others were stopped and had to count out copper coins from their robes. Someone like Lin Wu, carrying nothing more than a bamboo basket, was allowed in without trouble and did not need to pay.
In those days, merchants were required to pay commercial taxes, which were mainly divided into transit tax and residence tax. Traveling merchants paid twenty coins for every thousand coins’ worth of goods when passing through checkpoints; this was the transit tax. Merchants operating shops in the market paid thirty coins per thousand in goods; this was the residence tax.
The names of these taxes and the people subject to them often changed, and government tax clerks would sometimes invent new levies as they pleased. Boats, for example, might be charged a “strength-of-oars fee.” In some places, a boat had to pay an “arrival-at-shore fee” merely for docking. Some regulations required an additional “market-rule fee” whenever the tax exceeded three hundred coins. Along the road, if travelers passed through several tax stations, they had to pay a “checkpoint fee” at each one.
That was how excessive taxes and miscellaneous levies worked.
When the current dynasty had first been established, it had decreed that petty transactions by peddlers and hawkers did not need to pay commercial tax. But as the years passed, the rule had gradually been applied less strictly. By now, even people bringing goods into the market by shoulder pole or handcart had to pay a residence tax. Fortunately, the same tax was not collected twice. Vendors from outside the city who had already paid upon entering could receive a permit, which allowed them to enter the market by presenting it at the gate.
By the time everything was calculated, even a tiny business required spending money at every turn. All those scattered costs piled up one on top of another. More often than not, a vendor’s money had already begun flowing away before a single item had been sold.
Lin Wu led Lin Jing into the market. A quick glance showed that the food stalls were the liveliest, their wares steaming hot. But she did not head in that direction. Instead, she walked toward a flower stall not far away.
The flower seller was a young woman wearing a blue-and-yellow short jacket. A large umbrella stood behind her stall. Several big bamboo baskets had been arranged side by side, each filled with neat bunches of various fresh flowers.
The woman was holding a bundle of budding wintersweet and calling out to passersby.
“Freshly picked magnolia blossoms, plum blossoms, daphne, and narcissus! So fragrant! Put one in your room and the whole house will smell sweet. Tuck one in your hair and you’ll look twice as lively!”
Lin Wu stopped not far from the flower stall, set down her bamboo basket, and unfolded the folding stool before her. She then placed the basket securely on top of it.
The stall owner had noticed her earlier. Seeing the unusually large basket and the folding stool she carried—and how finely woven the basket was—she had been wondering whether Lin Wu was a customer out shopping or a peddler selling goods. Now that Lin Wu had set up beside her flower stall, the woman could not help taking a few more curious looks.
“Miss, that basket of yours is quite something. It’s even more carefully made than my flower baskets. What are you selling?”
“Good day, sister-in-law.” Lin Wu steadied the basket, then took out a plain white porcelain plate. On it sat several dainty cakes in shades of green and red, garnished with a few tender green vine leaves. They looked fresh, delicate, and pleasing to the eye.
“I’m selling some sweet tea cakes. I’ll set up here beside you for a little while. I hope I won’t interfere with your business?”
“Not at all, not at all!” Second Madam Zhao waved her hands repeatedly, though her eyes remained fixed on the cakes. “Oh my, these are beautifully made!”
Unable to resist, she leaned closer for a better look and exclaimed, “The colors are so bright and fresh. That green is just like newly sprouted leaves. I sell flowers, and you sell green-leaf cakes—our stalls complement each other perfectly.”
“To be honest, this is my first time setting up here, so I’m not sure how things will go. Would you help me taste one?” As she spoke, Lin Wu took out a clean pair of chopsticks and offered her a piece.
Second Madam Zhao gave a hearty laugh. “Well, I won’t stand on ceremony, then!”
She took the cake and popped it straight into her mouth. She praised it repeatedly. “Lightly sweet and so soft! It tastes just as fresh as it looks. If the ladies who come to choose flowers see these, I guarantee they’ll take home an extra packet of cakes!”
“Then I’ll take your good wishes to heart.” Lin Wu smiled and thanked her.
Second Madam Zhao turned around and selected a sprig of sweet olive in full bloom from her own basket. She handed it over. “Here, this sweet olive will add a little fragrance. It’ll go perfectly with your green-leaf cakes.”
“Thank you, sister-in-law. This really is the finishing touch.” Smiling, Lin Wu accepted the sprig and tucked it at an angle into the vines wound around the handle of her basket. The display immediately looked even more delicate and elegant.
The market grew livelier by the minute, but the number of people passing near the flower stalls was ultimately far smaller than the crowds around the food stalls. Flowers were not an everyday necessity. Only those with some money to spare—and a little leisure to indulge in such things—would come here to buy them.
Lin Wu glanced at the flow of people and steadied herself. Then she raised her voice slightly and began calling out, “Freshly made Jade Cakes! Lightly sweet and soft, perfect with tea while admiring flowers…”
Hearing her, Lin Jing cleared his throat as well. Whenever Lin Wu called out, he would lift his head and imitate her: “Jade Cakes—lightly sweet and soft—”
The two voices—one melodious and full, the other clear and crisp—soon drew quite a few curious glances.
Zhou Wenjin had risen early that morning and made a special trip to the western market. He had arranged to meet several of his fellow students at Qingxi Garden at noon for tea and a small gathering in one of the pavilions. He had thought he might as well personally pick out some fresh flowers to place on the table, which would add a touch of elegance to the occasion. People said the flowers at the early market were the freshest, having been brought in while still covered in dew.
Following the sound of the calls, he came to the flower stall. The plum blossoms, sweet olive, and Muchun branches in the baskets were indeed fresh and dewy.
Just as he bent down to choose some, his attention was drawn to the bamboo basket beside the flower stall. Wrapped in green vines and decorated with a sprig of sweet olive, it looked at first as though it held flower arrangements or some other tasteful knickknack. Only when he heard the call of “Freshly made Jade Cakes” did he realize that it was actually a tea-cake stall.
How unusual. Most food stalls were clustered at the other end of the market, where steam billowed and voices rose in a clamor. This one alone stood beside the flower stall, quiet and clean. And when he heard the words “perfect with tea,” something stirred in him. Without thinking, he walked over.
“Would you like to have a look at these Jade Cakes, sir?” Lin Wu called out when she saw him pause. “They were freshly steamed this morning and are perfect with tea.”
“Jade Cakes?” Zhou Wenjin asked, somewhat puzzled. He considered himself well acquainted with all sorts of exquisite tea snacks, but this was the first time he had heard of such a name.
Lin Wu brought the white porcelain plate closer. “Please have a look. If they catch your fancy, why not try one first?”
Zhou Wenjin lowered his eyes.
Several square cakes sat on the plate, each a pale green throughout. The expanse of plain white porcelain set off the verdant color beautifully, creating a clean, pleasing, and highly elegant appearance. A thin layer of dark red filling ran through the center, like a single stroke of color brushed across a green cloth. It gave the cake depth without making the design look cluttered.
Lin Wu used her bamboo chopsticks to pick up a small piece for him.
Zhou Wenjin took it, his fingertips brushing the cake’s soft, springy texture. The piece was just the right size for one bite. It scarcely required chewing before dissolving on his tongue. The cake itself was fresh and delicate, while the filling was sweet and yielding. The taste and texture complemented each other perfectly.
“The cake is airy and soft, fresh without being bland, and sweet without being cloying.” After savoring it carefully, Zhou Wenjin nodded in approval. “It is indeed quite suitable for a tea gathering.”
“Would you like to take some?” Seeing his satisfied expression, Lin Wu seized the opportunity. “The Jade Cakes are five copper coins apiece, or nine copper coins for two. Each one is this size, so two would be enough to cut into a small dish—more than sufficient to serve with tea.”
As she spoke, she lifted the cloth covering the bamboo basket, revealing the neatly arranged cakes beneath.
Zhou Wenjin looked at the cakes, all of them tidy and clean. The price was reasonable as well. An ordinary sour-filled pastry cost three copper coins, while a mutton bun cost six. These Jade Cakes clearly required considerable care to make and were not merely ordinary street fare meant to fill one’s stomach. Where else in the morning market could he find something so strikingly colored? Only someone with his discerning eye could have spotted them at a glance.
He calculated the number of guests at the tea gathering before saying, “Give me ten.”
“Certainly!” Lin Wu’s heart leaped. This counted as a substantial sale.
Beside her, Lin Jing obediently pulled out a sheet of oil paper and spread it open. Lin Wu transferred the cakes one by one, stacking them neatly before wrapping them with practiced efficiency.
For the final package, she cut another half cake and added it inside. “You’re my first customer today, sir. This half is on the house. Thank you for your patronage.”
“Then thank you…” Zhou Wenjin had not finished speaking when he felt someone tug lightly at his hem.
He lowered his head and saw a round-headed little boy staring up at him with wide eyes. Who else could it be but Tigerhead Shen?
“Wow! Brother Wenjin! Tigerhead should have been the first customer!” Tigerhead gazed longingly at the cakes in his hands.
Zhou Wenjin was amused by the boy’s completely groundless accusation. “Tigerhead, what brings you to the morning market so early?”
“I came to be A-Jie’s first customer, of course! But I couldn’t find her at the food stalls just now. So she was here all along!”
As he spoke, he sidled familiarly over to Lin Jing and stretched his neck to peer into the bamboo basket. He kept asking, “Jing, Jing, how many are left? I’ll take them all!”
Then he pulled a silver coin from his bulging little purse and held it out to Lin Jing. “Look, I brought money! Is it enough? I’ll buy every one of them!”
Lin Jing took the silver piece, spread it out in his palm and showed it to Lin Wu, saying, "Mother, Tigerhead brought silver with him. How many jade-like cakes can this buy?"
Zhou Wenjin looked at Lin Wu with a hint of confusion. The young woman before him wore a plain, half-worn dress, yet she was neat and tidy, with a quiet, gentle demeanor. No matter how he looked at her, she hardly seemed the sort of person who could be connected to the Shen family.
He then glanced at the quiet child beside Tigerhead, and soon understood that the boy was most likely one of Tigerhead's little friends. Tigerhead made friends far and wide — it was no surprise he would know a child from an ordinary household like this. He could even chat with the cats on the street for a whole day.
Just as he was thinking this, a familiar voice came from behind him. He turned around and saw Little Zheng and Steward Zhou.
"Father," Zhou Wenjin said, straightening his posture to greet him.
"Wenjin," Steward Zhou said as he walked over, his tone calm, "didn't you say you were coming to the morning market to buy some seasonal flowers for today's tea gathering?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Tigerhead sized up Zhou Wenjin and said, "Brother Wenjin, did you tell Uncle Zhou you were going to buy flowers, but secretly use the money to buy cakes instead?"
After saying that, he whispered to Lin Jing, "There are so many people in our academy who do that! They tell their parents they need money for paper and ink, but actually use it to buy new storybooks!"
Lin Jing blinked at his words, and looked at Zhou Wenjin with a suspicious expression too.
Zhou Wenjin, who was being interrogated for no reason by the two pairs of eyes, felt both amused and helpless. "The flowers are at the stall right next door. I just haven't had time to buy them yet. This jade-like cake looked so special, and then Tigerhead distracted me, so I ended up delaying it."
As he spoke, he quickly counted out forty-five copper coins from his purse and handed them to Lin Jing, who was looking up at him. "Here, little shopkeeper, let's settle the bill. That's the money for ten pieces of cake. Count it."
"That's forty-five coins in total," Lin Wu said to Lin Wu with a smile. She then took the small silver piece from his hand, bent down and put it back into Tigerhead's small purse. She picked up a whole piece of jade-like cake with a bamboo chopstick and handed it to him, saying, "We'll keep Tigerhead's money for you first. This piece is specially reserved for you by this elder sister. Go ahead and taste it."
Tigerhead was immediately distracted. He took the cake happily and said, "Wow! Thank you, elder sister!"
He instantly forgot about Zhou Wenjin. He squatted down to count the copper coins with Lin Jing while munching on the cake.
Only then did Lin Wu raise her eyes, look at Steward Zhou and nod slightly. "Steward Zhou, long time no see."
"Madam, I hope you've been well recently. Did you settle down smoothly in Huzhou?"
"Thank you for your concern, Steward Zhou. Thanks to you, everything is going well," Lin Wu replied.
Steward Zhou nodded and continued, "Our shop has ships heading south in the next couple of days. If you have any family letters or messages that need to be sent south recently, we can take them along for you."
Lin Wu was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "It's my fault for being so busy these days that I almost forgot all about it."
"At noon tomorrow, Little Zheng will come to collect the letters. You can just give them to him then. We won't disturb your business any longer." With the matter settled, Steward Zhou was about to lead Tigerhead away, as Tigerhead had to get to the academy for his lessons. Before leaving, Steward Zhou bought four more pieces of jade-like cake, saying he would bring them back for Old Master Shen to try. When Tigerhead saw that, he insisted on buying two more for himself. It took a lot of coaxing to get Little Zheng to drag him away.
Although the group had left, the commotion they caused drew quite a few eyes, and soon more people gathered around the stall.
"It looks like you've already got regular customers coming to support you in no time," Second Madam Zhao, who was arranging bouquets at the stall next to hers, said with a playful smile. The two stalls were next to each other, one selling fresh flowers and the other selling tea pastries, and they complemented each other perfectly. What's more, Lin Wu had cut a small plate of pastries for people to try, which attracted many customers who had stopped by the flower stall.
"This pastry is sweet, soft and fluffy. It tastes great even on its own without tea. It's perfect for the elderly at home to have first thing in the morning," said a neatly dressed auntie after taking a bite of the sample.
"It's an excellent match for tea too. Two pieces can be cut into a small plate, and it looks so elegant on the table. It's not worse than those fancy pastries served in restaurants at all," said a young scholar in a traditional official robe as he took the two pieces of cake wrapped in oiled paper.
Meanwhile, Tigerhead, who had slipped into Canglang Academy, was tucking the oiled paper packet in his arms. He skillfully made his way around the corridors, avoided the classrooms where students were doing their morning reading, and quietly crept outside the Headmaster's Mingde Studio.
He peeked inside and saw that only the Headmaster was there, poring over a book at his desk. He then stepped over the threshold, bowed politely and said, "Student Shen Linzhou greets the Headmaster."
Lu Yansong looked up from his desk. Seeing it was Tigerhead, his grayish-white eyebrows raised slightly. "Linzhou, you are late again. Since you're already late, why don't you go to the classroom to apologize to Master Chen, instead of sneaking over to my place? My face doesn't count for much with Master Chen, you know."
After finishing his greeting, Tigerhead stood up straight, walked over to the tea shelf as if he owned the place, stood on tiptoe, and tucked the oiled paper packet into one of the compartments.
"Don't stuff all your random little bits and pieces onto my tea shelf," Headmaster Xu said, amused and exasperated by how familiar the boy was with the place.
"It's not random stuff," Tigerhead said after he had put the packet away, turning around to face the Headmaster. "It's delicious cake."
At Headmaster Xu's words, a hint of relief appeared on his face. He stroked his beard and said, "Tigerhead has grown up. Now that you have something tasty, you remember to share it with your Headmaster." He felt quite pleased in his heart. Tigerhead might be a mischievous boy, but he was far more thoughtful than Shen Guanting.
But Tigerhead immediately looked alert and shook his head repeatedly. "It's not for you, Headmaster!" He pointed at the tea shelf. "I just don't want my classmates to see it. They'll all ask me for a bite, and I only have two pieces. It's safest to hide it here with you, and I'll come back to get it at noon during the break."
The little bit of good feeling in Headmaster Xu's heart vanished instantly. He waved his hand and said, "Hurry back to class! If you dawdle any longer, be careful that Master Chen will punish you to copy your books!"
"Yes, sir. Student takes his leave." Tigerhead ran away in a flash.
Looking at the empty doorway, Headmaster Xu shook his head helplessly. Those two Shen boys must have been sent to him specifically to temper his patience. Back then, he never should have bowed to the Shen family's "evil influence" just for some money. What a regret that was.
Tigerhead's packet of pastries sat peacefully on the tea shelf for most of the day.
As noon drew near, Instructor Liu from the prefectural school came to visit. After Headmaster Xu told his steward to prepare tea for the guest, he went to the gate to welcome him in person.
The steward walked into Mingde Studio. He knew the place like the back of his hand, and went straight to the tea shelf. The Headmaster's best tea for entertaining guests were all kept on the shelf in the studio. Glancing over the rows of tea jars, the oiled paper packet in one compartment stood out conspicuously.
Instructor Liu had come for a formal visit after sending his visiting card. The steward immediately realized that the oiled paper packet, placed so deliberately on the tea shelf, must be the tea pastry the Headmaster had prepared for the distinguished guest.
He carefully unfolded the oiled paper, revealing two pieces of lush green pastry, with a fine, delicate texture that clearly took a lot of effort to make. It was perfect as a tea accompaniment, just as he thought.
The steward took the oiled paper packet along with the tea leaves, went to the kitchen, and told the kitchen maid to cut the pastries into even small pieces and arrange them on a porcelain plate. Then he carried the plate and the freshly brewed tea into the reception hall together.
The story of water-boiled wonton wrappers (actually called plum blossom soup cakes) sold for two hundred coins comes from *Shanjia Qinggong*. The merchant tax settings in this story refer to *The Economic History of the Song Dynasty*.
